The Role of Big Data in Personalising the Gaming Experience

This phenomenon is one of the key trends in the entertainment niche. The technology is used for various tasks, but the main one is to create unique and highly relevant practices for players.

Experts of the Online Casino Market studio will tell you about the benefits of using big data in the iGaming sector.

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About the Concept

It can be described as huge sets of unstructured information. A wide variety of details is taken into account, from small text materials to voluminous multimedia files and pieces of computer code.

The term was introduced by journalist Clifford Lynch. In 2009, the editor of Nature weekly was the first to talk about the explosive growth of large amounts of data that need to be collected, structured, and processed.

A little later, IT giants (Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and other international corporations) began to take a closer look at the technology. Today, each of them successfully uses the tool in their work to minimise risks, improve the level of service, and predict the results of future periods.

In gambling, the introduction of big data coincided with the active digitalisation of the industry. Since 2012, when providers began to switch to the online format, the use of the option has become imperative for many companies. With its help, operators increase competitiveness and become risk-resistant and more interesting for customers.

How the Technology Works

Sources of information-gathering in this case are divided into 3 categories:

1. Social. These are all the actions of players on the Internet. These include reposts, likes, comments, downloads, the launch of the reels in slots, participation in tournaments, and much more.
2. Machine. Such details are generated by systems, sensors, and the IoT. They can be obtained from smartphones, Apple products, and video cameras in land-based entertainment locations.
3. Transactional. This is information about money transfers in offline casinos and digital platforms.

To collect and process large datasets, powerful program components, and secure data storage are needed. Among the most popular software packages in the market are Hadoop, Apache Spark, and many others. In their work, they all use a similar scheme: first, they obtain details, which are then grouped using specified filters, criteria, and algorithms.

The tool involves the use of modern data storage. Today, most companies prefer cloud containers rather than, for example, hard drives.

Such an option has several advantages:

• resiliency due to the placement of data on independent servers and in multiple copies;
• scalability of the entertainment portal during peak loads on its infrastructure.

Data Analytics for Personalisation

The key area of ​​the technology’s use in the gambling niche is the creation of an individual customer experience. To do this, machines and systems collect terabytes of unrelated info and transform it into a clear and convenient form for perception.

Individual practices for players are one of the macro trends in the industry.

Today, it is not enough to simply offer people a standard catalogue of slot machines. The selection of solutions must match the tastes and preferences of a particular client. All characteristics are taken into account, from the theme of the video games to technical parameters (number of reels, volatility, RTP) and design.

The desire for exclusivity can be seen in other components of the online casino platform:

• payment services;
• bonuses;
• multiplayer activities (tournaments, missions, and quests).

How Individual Experience is Formed

Personalisation in the iGaming field consists of 4 “R”:

1. Recognise. At this stage, players are identified, and the initial collection of information about them takes place. Data is extracted from various sources, such as activities on social networks, instant messengers and reporting from the CRM casino system.
2. Recommend. This is the offering of relevant solutions (games, bonuses, and financial services) based on previous user experience.
3. Remember. Here, great attention is paid to the history of each specific client. Special software studies not only what the person previously selected (slots, cards, fishing) but why they made such a choice (content viewed, information that was studied, and products launched in the demo version).
4. Relevance. This is the personalisation of the experience in the context of the players’ current digital path, taking into account where they have been before, and what they are currently interested in.

Expertise of the Leading Corporations

Among the best strategies, we can highlight the approaches of Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, and other world-famous brands.

Enterprises take into account the following aspects:

• actions of users: clicks on products, additions to cart, purchases (or watching films and listening to music);
• characteristics of movies or tracks;
• patterns of user behaviour on websites;
• comparison of all visitors and their interactions with all services;
• prediction of future actions of customers.

This algorithm provides a better understanding of the audience, its requests, and preferences, as well as contributes to faster attraction and long-term retention of clients.

Representatives of the entertainment industry use a similar approach. Today, personalised solutions (content, gamification tools, and platforms) can be found in the assortment of many leading companies. These are Pragmatic Play, Microgaming, Playtech, Evolution, NetEnt, and many others.

How Big Data Improves Customer Experience

In gambling, the tool is used for several purposes:

Personalisation of Offers

By analysing the behaviour of players, their preferences, betting history, and other information, operators create such individual products as:

1. Recommendation systems. This content is highly likely to interest clients. Most often, entrepreneurs focus on game types (slots, cards, bingo, or keno), popular mechanics (Hold and Win, Avalanche), and technical parameters (number of reels, directions for payments, and dispersions). The range of settings can be significantly expanded by selecting products depending on the theme, bonus functions, or main characters.
2. Personalised promotions. Big data allows project owners to segment players and create unique loyalty programs for each selected group. For example, active users can be offered increased cashback and new visitors may get start-up rewards and gifts.
3. Convenient settlement methods. Large providers rarely work with only one financial service. Most often, they manage several channels at once, satisfying gamblers of different categories. Using the technology allows operators to individualise payment instruments in accordance with currencies, commissions, and other parameters.
4. Original UX interface. The design of websites can also change depending on the interests and preferences of the audience. The basic layout (the location of buttons, the main menu, and blocks) usually remains the same and only additional elements can be changed.

Optimisation of the Product Range

Big data is a powerful analytical tool. With its help, it is possible to evaluate the current selection of entertainment on digital portals, as well as predict what content will be in demand in a week, month, or quarter.

The solution can collect and analyse information from various sources. These are official statistics on people’s preferences (games, mechanics, and bonus rounds), announcements of future releases, as well as reactions and comments on thematic forums.

Based on all these details, entrepreneurs can predict customer demand and understand which assortment is worth buying.

The use of big data optimises the entertainment catalogue in online casinos. Operators buy only the content that is sure to interest their target audience and do not spend money on less popular slots.

Improving Marketing Performance

Technology plays a key role in choosing promotion strategies, allowing businessmen to accurately measure the activity done and evaluate the corresponding trends.

How the tool is used in marketing:

1. Targeting. This is the display of addressed messages to customers that have been segmented and selected according to specified criteria. Big data makes displays personalised. Thanks to this, it is possible to reach the most relevant users, increase conversion, and reduce the cost of promotion.
2. Analysis of efficiency. This means tracking results over time. Entrepreneurs can see which formats are the most successful and which should be abandoned. Thanks to such a function, casino owners also quickly respond to any negative factors, correct deviations, and redistribute the advertising budget.

Improving Customer Experience

This is the provision of high-quality individual services, taking into account the current requests and needs of gamblers.

It is reflected in:

• personalised communication with support staff (via Skype, e-mail, phone call, chatbot, and other channels);
• in-depth analysis of players’ reactions (reviews, likes, comments);
• optimisation of the client’s route within the iGaming platform.

The Main Things about the Role of Big Data in the Casino Niche

Such technology is considered quite popular in the entertainment sector.

Key aspects that operators need to take into account:

• The tool is mostly applied to personalise offers. Providers create content that satisfies the current demands of the audience and includes bonuses, payment services, and advertisement displays.
• Big data allows project owners to optimise the product range of their digital portals and predict which games and payment services will be popular in the future. The introduction of the solution improves the user experience and makes communication with the support service more convenient.

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